Locomotive tender door



Feb. 2, 1937.

w. L LENTZ El AL I 2,069,414 mocoubTIvE TENDER noda' Filed July a, 1936 6 Sheets- Sheet 1' Feb. 2, 1937.

W. L.- LENTZ Er AL LOCOMOTIVE TENDER DOOR Filed July 8, 1936 6 Shee ts-Sheet 2 W. L. LENTZ El AL LOCOMOTIYE TENDER DOOR Filed Juia, 1936 6 Sheets-Sheet "a;

Feb. 2, 1 ,37 w. L;ILENTZ sf AL LOCOMOTIVE TENDE R noon Filed July 8, 1936 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 Feb. 2, 1937. w -r2 2,069,414

LOGOMOTIVE TENDER DOOR 7 Filed Jul 8', 1936 s snap -sheet 5' I wmyw .3 w. LENTZ E1- AL 2,059,141.4

LOCOMOTIVE TENDER DOOR Filed July 8, 193a fisheets-sheef s Patented Feb. 2, 1937 UNETED STATES PATENT OFFICE LOCOMOTIVE TENDER DOOR poration or New York Application July 8, 1936, Serial No. 89,630

6 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in doors for use in closing the coal loading opening in the top of the tender over the coal bunker therein, and to mechanism for operating such doors.

One object of the invention is to provide a novel construction and arrangement of doors or cover plates whereby, when the doors are open, a free and clear space is furnished for ready and convenient loading of the tender and without impedance to the passage of the coal being supplied thereto.

Another object of the invention is to provide doors which are so connected and balanced as to ensure easy operation of the doors from closed to open position, and vice versa.

Still another object of the invention is to provide novel door opening and closing mechanism which may be operated from the front deck of the tender and which permits of the use for this purpose of the grate shaker bar as an actuating lever.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an arrangement of doors including two inner or center doors mounted on fulcrum shafts to swing between open and closed position, the doors when open being arranged to stand in a substantially upright position to serve as coal guides or deflectors and with the inner or center doors opening back to back so as to occupy substantially no obstructing space against passage of the coal, said center doors having flanges at their free edges adapted to lap and close the space between them against any passage of coal in such space.

Still another object of the invention is to provide means on the doors to form drain gutters to conduct rain water off the tender roof and to prevent or reduce liability of entrance of water through the coal doorway into the tender.

Still another object of the invention is to provide means in the form of chute plates for use when doors of a certain type are employed to revent the coal from striking the tender roof beyond the sides of the doorway and spilling on at the sides of the tender and causing loss of coal.

Still another object of the invention is to provide doors which when closed will lie flush with and give proper contour to the tender for proper drain of rain water therefrom.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of the features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts, hereinafter fully described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is an end elevation of the tender, looking toward its front deck, and showing the door operating and locking mechanism.

Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section through the roof from side to side of the doorway or loading opening and showing the doors in full open position, parts of the door operating mechanism being omitted for greater clarity of illustration.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the door operating mechanism.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged vertical transverse section through the tender roof, mainly on one side of the longitudinal center thereof, showing the arrangement of doors in closed position.

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of a portion of the tender showing the mounting of the doors and door operating mechanism.

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing a modified form of the invention.

Fig. 7 is a transverse section showing the doors of the structure of Fig. 6 in closed position.

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. '7 showing the doors thereof in open position.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, and first to the structure disclosed in Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive, I designates a locomotive tender the roof portion 2 of which is provided with a doorway or loading opening 3 communicating with its bunker space 4 and through which the bunker space is supplied with coal in any of the conventional ways. This opening 3 may extend substantially the entire length of the tender or any desired portion of the length thereof and may be of any desired width. In the present instance it is shown as extending to equal degrees from the center of the roof a considerable distance toward the sides of the roof so as to provide an opening of adequate area to allow a large quantity of coal to be introduced at a time to adapt the bunker to be quickly filled.

Swinging doors or cover plates are provided for closing the opening 3. In the structure shown in Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive, four such doors, designated 5, 6, 1 and 8, respectively, are employed, and which are arranged in pairs on opposite sides of the longitudinal center of the opening, the doors 5 and B being arranged on one side and the doors I and 8 on the opposite side of the longitudinal center of said opening. These doors are mounted respectively upon fulcrum shafts 5, 6, l and 8 journaled in suitable bearings carried by the tender roof cross mem- 5 bers or frames 9, the rear end of each fulcrum shaft extending through the back wall or rear slope sheet (not shown) of the coal bunker and forward through the front wall IQ of the coal bunker and supported by the bearings at each end and throughout the coal space by the conveniently spaced transverse roof frames.

As shown, the inner door or cover plate 6 or I of each pair is adapted to swing transversely of the tender inwardly and upwardly to open position and outwardly and downwardly to closed position, while the outer door 5 or 8 of each pair swings upwardly and outwardly to open position and downwardly and inwardly to closed position, the free edge of the doors of each pair being designed so that these edges clear each other sufficiently to allow them to open freely and without interference. These doors are so formed as to lie when in closed position within the roof line of the tender and to conform longitudinally and transversely to the roof contour of the tender. The inner doors 6 and i when swung to open position lie substantially in a vertical plane and close to each other and in back to back relation, so as to reduce as far as possible the space occupied by them and to give the largest amount of free clearance space for passage of coal to the sides of the opening on opposite sides thereof. The outer doors 5 and 8 lie when in open position substantially in a vertical plane or at a slight angle thereto. The arrangement of the doors when swung to open position is such that they provide passages between the inner doors and outer doors on opposite sides of the longitudinal center of the loading opening for the free and unimpeded passage of coal to the latter, all the doors serving as guides to properly direct the coal toward the opening and the outer doors 5 and 8 serving also as guards to prevent any of the coal from passing outwardly and spilling over onto the roof and oh the tender at the sides thereof and becoming wasted. The doors 6 and 1 are provided at their free or swinging edges with angularly arranged stiffening and guard members or flanges H which are adapted to overlap in open position of the doors and forming a gable-like closure to prevent any coal from passing down into the space between the doors.

The doors and their fulcrum shafts are so constructed and mounted that the doors are substantially balanced so that when given an initial starting movement in a closing direction they will close by gravity, while, owing to their mode of mounting and the construction of their actuating means, they are adapted to be moved to open position in a ready and convenient manner and by the use of a comparatively small amount of working force. The mechanism disclosed in the present instance for actuating the doors is designed to operate the doors in pairs, the doors 5 and 1 being simultaneously operated as one unit and the doors 6 and 8 simultaneously operated as a separate unit, so that one door of each pair will be operated simultaneously with a door of the opposite pair, but this mode of operation of the doors is not essential and the doors may be otherwise operated as hereinafter more fully described. The mechanism for operating the doors 5 and 1 comprises an actuating lever I2 fixed to an actuating shaft l3, to which shaft is also fixed a motion transmitting lever arm M. The lever arm 14 is coupled by a link l5 to a motion transmitting lever arm I6 on the shaft 1 of the door 1, and the lever arm I!) is in turn connected by a motion transmitting link I! to a motion transmitting arm 18 on the shaft 5' of the door 5 whereby through working movements of the actuating lever I2 the doors 5 and 1 may be simultaneously operated. A similar mechanism is provided for operating the doors 6 and 8, such mechanism comprising an actuat ing lever arm 12' mounted on an actuating shaft l3, on which shaft is also mounted a motion transmitting arm 14' coupled by a link !5' to a motion transmitting lever arm i6 on the shaft 6' of the door 5, said arm l6 being in turn coupled by a link I? to a motion transmitting lever arm if! on the shaft 8 of the door 8 whereby through movements of the actuating lever l2 the doors 6 and 8 may be simultaneously operated. The sets of link and lever mechanisms thus described for operating each pair of doors is of a toggle link type allowing a powerful actuating motion to be transmitted to the doors to shift them to either open or closed position. The construction of the doors and their shafts as stated is such that the doors when given an initial degree of closing movement after being opened, which is effected by the actuating mechanism, thereafter tend to close by gravity, so that their closing motion is easily effected. When the doors are in closed position the natural arrangement of the links and levers of their actuating mechanism tends to hold them in such position, aided by the position of the doors 5 and 8 which swing outwardly to open position slightly beyond the center vertical line, but a locking mechanism is preferably provided for holding the doors either fully open or closed or in partly open position. This locking mechanisl. may be of any preferred type and employed in connection with the elements of the operating mechanism in any desired manner, but, as shown in the present instance, each motion transmitting arm I4 is provided at its free end with an opening 9 for the passage of a securing pin or key 20 which may be engaged with any one of three keeper openings 2! in a fixed quadrant shaped keeper member 22 on the tender structure whereby each set of actuating devices may be held to hold the doors controlled thereby in fully closed or fully open position or in partly open position, as desired. The actuating lever arms l2 and I2 have their free ends so formed as to fit within and to be engaged by a socket 23 on the motion transmitting end of an operating lever 24 which lever may desirably be the locomotive furnace grate shaker bar, allowing this implement, which is always at hand, to be used for both purposes and obviating the necessity of providing an additional lever for actuating the tender doors. The free end of each actuating lever arm l2, l2 and the socketed end of the operating lever it may be provided with registering openings 25 to receive a fastening pin or key 26 whereby during its period of use the operating lever may be fastened to the actuating lever arm.

From the foregoing description, the general construction and mode of operation of the doors as shown in Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive, will be readily understood and it will be seen that the structure provides doors which in their closed position fully close the coal loading opening and conform to the contour of the tender roof, which may be suitably shaped for streamline purposes and to effectually shed or drain off rain water and other moisture. Also it will be seen that when the doors are in open position they will provide clear feed passages for the supply of coal into and over the entire area of the coal bunker, the doors acting as guides to direct the coal on its passage and the outer doors serving also as guards to prevent any coal from spilling off at the sides of the tender and becoming lost. In order to ensure the rapid drainage oiI of rain water and other moisture and to direct the flowing moisture away from any spaces or crevices between the doors and walls of the opening 3, the outer doors 5 and 8 may be provided at their outer or hinged edges with angle metal stiffening members or flanges 2'! which, when the doors are in closed position, will cooperate with the stiffening members or flanges ii to form gutters acting to direct the moisture away from crevices or openings and to points on the tender roof from which it will flow off with other moisture flowing from the remainder of the tender roof.

In the modified form of the invention shown in Figs. 6 to 8, inclusive, the general principle of construction and mode of operation of the doors is the same as that previously described with respect to Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive, but the doors are arranged and coupled for operation in a somewhat different manner and cooperate with certain added features. As shown, a set of three doors 28, 2s and 35 is provided on each side of the longitudinal center of the opening, said doors being mounted to swing transversely of the tender on longitudinally extending fulcrum shafts 28, 29' and 39, the doors of each set being mounted to swing in the same direction simultaneously in their opening and closing movements. All three doors 28, 29 and 3G swing upwardly and inwardly to the open position shown in Fig. 8 and downwardly and outwardly to the closed position shown in Fig. 7. The inner doors 28 of the sets are provided at their free edges with angularly projecting flanges 3i which abut when said doors are in open position to serve the same function as the flanges of the doors 6 and I. With this arrangement and direction of opening and closing movements of the doors it is desirable to provide some means to guide the coal entering the bunker between the passage formed between the open door 3i! and adjacent outer wall or side of the opening 3, to which end a guard or chute plate 32 is provided which is hinged at its lower edge to the tender top and is slidably and pivotally coupled by a link 33 to the door 38. When the doors are in open position this plate 32, through the action of the link 33, is moved upwardly to the operative position shown in Fig. 8 in which it cooperates with the door 30 to form a guide and guard of the character and for the purpose described. When the doors are closed this plate 32 swings outwardly and folds down onto the top of the tender. The doors are soconstructed and mounted that the free edge of each door, in the closed position of the doors, laps over upon the hinged edge of the next adjacent door or over upon the chute plate 32, thus closing all joints between the doors when in closed position to prevent entrance of rain water or other moisture into the bunker through the passage 3.

In the structure shown in Figs. 6 to 8, inclusive, the doors arranged at each side of the longitudinal center of the opening are simultaneously 0perated and operate independently of the doors at the opposite side of the longitudinal center of the opening. As shown, an actuating lever arm 34 is fixed to the shaft 30' of door 38, to which is also fixed a motion transmitting lever arm 35, which arm is coupled by a link 36 to lever arms 31 and 38 on the shafts 28 and 29 of the doors 28 and 29 at the same side of the center of the Opening. 3 as the lever to door 30. The shafts of the doors 28, 29 and 30 at the opposite side of the center of the opening 3 are similarly connected witha corresponding set of actuating devices, the. arrangement being such that the three doors at either side of the center of the opening. may be simultaneously opened and closed independently of the doors at the opposite side of the opening. A locking means for holding each set of doors in open, closed and partly open position is also employed, and the parts thereof correspond to. those shown in connection with the structure disclosed in Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive, and are correspondingly numbered.

The operating bar or lever 2d herein shown may be an ordinary locomotive grate shaker bar having the usual offset or one of special type without the offset. When an ordinary locomotive grate shaker bar with offset is used it is necessary to reverse the bar in the half open position of a set of doors and to reverse the bar at this point in order that the full swing may be completed in the restricted space allowed between the wall legs of the tender. In the use of an ordinary locomotive grate shaker bar a set of doors which is being opened may be temporarily fastened in half open position in order that they may be retained in this position. while the bar is being reversed to complete the opening swing, as will be readily understood.

If it be desired, the two sets of operating shafts in either disclosed structure can be coupled together by connecting means having a compensating lever or other suitable means, as disclosed in our prior application filed September 26, 1935, Serial No. 42,342, so that they may be simultaneously rocked to open or close all the doors. Also, instead of employing a manual operating lever, various other methods of manual, special fluid or electrical motor operation, as disclosed in our aforesaid prior patent application, may be employed.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the drawings, the construction, mode of operation and advantages of our improved door arrangement for locomotive tenders will be readily understood and its advantages appreciated by those versed in the art without a further and extended description. While the structural embodiments shown are preferred it will, of course, be understood that changes in the form, proportions, details of construction and ways of operating the doors may be varied in the respects described or in other respects within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

What we claim is:

1. A locomotive tender having a coal loading opening in its top, a plurality of doors arranged on each side of the center of the opening and mounted to swing upwardly and downwardly respectively to substantially vertical and substantially horizontal open and closed positions, said doors forming in their open positions passageways and guides to direct the coal into the opening, the center doors at opposite sides of and adjacent to the center of the opening being arranged to be disposed back to back and in close proximity to each other in their opening position, angularly arranged members on the free edges of said center doors for closing the space between them when in open position, and means for opening and closing said doors.

2. A locomotive tender having a coal loading opening in its top, a pair of swinging doors mounted on each side of the center of the opening to swing upwardly and downwardly to closed position, the inner doors of each pair being arranged to move inwardly and toward each other in back to back relation when swinging to open position and the outer doors of the pairs to swing outwardly or in the reverse direction to the inner doors, and means for operating the doors.

3. A locomotive tender having a coal loading opening in its top, a pair of swinging doors mounted on each side of the center of the opening to swing upwardly and downwardly to closed position, the inner doors of each pair being arranged to move inwardly and toward each other in back to back relation when swinging to open position and the outer doors of the pairs to swing outwardly or in the reverse direction to the inner doors, angle projections on the free edges of the inner doors adapted to abut in the open position of said doors to close the space between them, and means for operating the doors.

4. A locomotive tender having a coal loading opening in its top, a set of doors on each side of the center of said opening mounted to swing upwardly and inwardly to open position and downwardly and outwardly to closed position, said doors when disposed in open position forming passages and guides for directing the coal to the opening, and a swing chute plate connected to and movable with the outer door of each set to form a coal guide at the outer side of the portion of the opening normally closed by said outer door.

5. A locomotive tender having a coal loading opening in its top, a set of doors on each side of the center of said opening mounted to swing upwardly and inwardly to open position and downwardly and outwardly to closed position, said doors when disposed in open position forming passages and guides for directing the coal to the opening, the inner doors of the set being arranged to stand back to back when in open position, means on said inner doors for closing the space between the free edges of said doors when open, and a swing chute plate connected to and movable with the outer door of each set to form a coal guide at the outer side of the portion of the opening normally closed by said outer door.

6. A locomotive tender having a coal loading opening in its top, a set of doors on each side of the center of said opening mounted to swing upwardly and inwardly to open position and downwardly and outwardly to closed position, links connecting the doors in sets, means for actuating each link set, and means for locking each link set for holding the doors actuated thereby in open or closed position, said doors when disposed in open position forming passages and guides for directing the coal to the opening, and a swing chute plate connected to and movable with the outer door of each set to form a coal guide at the outer side of the portion of the opening normally closed by said outer door.

CARL F. KANTOLA. WILLIAM L. LENTZ. 

